Bathroom Council
by Xcontents.pricelessX
Summary: With Tony questioning himself as a leader, who is there to reassure him? Tiva if you tilt your head to the side and squint.


**So I was watching Hiatus and I felt bad for Tony. First he has to suddenly take over a team and deal with the emotional stress of his boss having amnesia, and then his 'team' gives him crap about how he acts. So I jotted this down, typed it up, forgot about it, then found it and decided to post it! :D**

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He splashed water on his face once more and turned off the bathroom sink's water. Leaning forward on the counter, Tony let the coolness of the water dripping down his face and marble countertops at his fingertips calm him. Still, the words of his teammates swirled around in his head.

_You're not Gibbs._

It's true. He's not Gibbs. Gibbs is currently lying in a coma at the hospital, leaving Tony to lead the team through this investigation of tracking down who set off the bomb that caused Gibbs to lay in said coma. Everyone on the team was worried; McGee, Abby, Ziva, Ducky- even the Director was anxious for him to wake up.

Tony rubbed his eyes and took a deep breath. With Gibbs gone and himself as temporary team leader, everyone was looking to him for some sort of guidance. This meant he had to be the one to put up the brave face and step into the boss's shoes. Tony could only guess that he'd been doing a good job so far, but in all honesty, he was scared out of his mind. Scared for his boss, a man who was like a dad to him, who might not wake up. Scared for the team; they were like a family of sorts. Without the father-figure they were all like lost puppies, and they could not go through losing another member.

He was so caught up in his thoughts that Tony did not hear the bathroom door open, the new occupant swiftly shutting and locking the door behind them. It was only when he felt a hand touch his shoulder did his eyes flash to the mirror to see Ziva standing beside him, her eyes holding a look of concern. Grabbing a paper towel, he quickly dried his face and threw on one of his trademark grins as he turned to face her, hoping she would not question him.

Of course, being Ziva, she went and did just that. "Would you like to talk?"

"About what?" He asked, forcing the lightness in his voice.

Ziva must have caught that when she responded, "Whatever it is that is bugging you."

Tony was silent as he leaned back against the countertops. Ziva dipped her head, trying to catch his eyes. "What, did I get that one wrong?"

Tony shook his head. "No, no, you actually got that right. I'm fine." He tried to step around her but she cut him off.

"Tony." She said, her voice soft as her eyes searched his, trying to find whatever it was that he was hiding.

"Seriously, I'm totally cool!" He flashed her another grin, not knowing whether he was trying to convince her or himself.

She continued to search his eyes for a few more moments before she stepped back a bit. He nodded to her and started towards the door.

"You're doing a good job."

Tony stopped with his hand on the doorknob. He turned around and slowly met her eyes. "Really?" He asked, desperately needing the reassurance.

Ziva nodded and Tony let out a breath he was unaware he was holding. He walked back to her and they simultaneously leaned against the sinks. "In fact, I believe it is you that has been holding the team together since this… incident occurred."

"It's not as easy as it looks," He scoffed, shoving his thumbs in his jean's back pockets.

Ziva snuck a glance at her partner before returning to look at the wall before her. "You are doubting yourself." It wasn't a question, more like she was stating a fact.

Tony opened his mouth to argue when Ziva gave him a look as if to say _Don't deny it, I can tell._ Tony sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "It's like you guys said- I'm not Gibbs."

Ziva regarded him for a moment before she replied. "No you are not." Before he could open his moth to protest her 'pep talk', she quickly continued. "You are Tony. You are the movie quoting, prank pulling, pain-in-our-butts Tony. You are _our_ Tony. You do not need to be Gibbs to lead this team. Just be yourself. Minus the ego," She joked, elbowing his side.

Tony laughed. "An ego? Moi? Why Miss David, that hurt!" He dramatically clutched his chest, causing her to laugh, her eyes twinkling with amusement. Tony smiled down at her as her laughing died down a bit, their eyes still locked. She finally looked away, a soft smile on her lips.

"I am just saying," She continued, her voice becoming sincere once more, although a bit softer than before. "There is no need to be anyone else." She looked up at him once more and smiled warmly. "We love you just the way you are."

With that, she walked out, leaving Tony alone to his thoughts. When he heard the door click shut, a smile slid across his features. He looked back in the mirror and did a once over before turning and walking out the bathroom door with a new-found confidence.

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**You know what gives me confidence? Reviews!**


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